Next of Kin
by AccountNoLongerActive1
Summary: Charlie watches in helpless agony as his only daughter becomes a hollow shell of who she once was. One-shot.


**This is what I imagined what Charlies thoughts would be like during Bella's '_zombie'_ period in New Moon.**

**Review. I love hearing what you guys think.**

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Charlie watched his only daughter trudge down the stairs, her usual clumsiness not making an appearance. _A concussion is the last thing she needs… _He thought to himself.

It's been two months. Two months since he's seen his real daughter—the mature, grown up, beautiful Bella. Of course, Bella would always be beautiful in her fathers eyes, but she didn't have the gleam in her eyes that she used to, nor the passion that came with it.

Charlie never really understood his daughters relationship with the Cullen boy—he had always thought that she was too good for him, but, being the loving father that he is, no one would _ever _be good enough for Bella in his eyes.

He thought of it as a high school romance, he sees them everywhere, though he had never experienced one—the only relationship he had been in during high school was Renee, Bella's mother, they had married straight out of school and little to four years later got an annulment.

He had missed his baby girl everyday, his only daughter. Days and nights would be rough and lonely, and he always looked forward to the summers that she would spend here, and the Easters and Christmases. Charlie always knew that Bella hated Forks—just like her mother, and it broke his heart when she started to stop coming over.

It was already hard enough, seeing her so little. But when he didn't see her at all—that was when he was at his worse.

So the utter joy he had felt when Bella decided to move in with him was indescribable, he actually did a little dance around the kitchen after she had told him, and he had the goofiest smile on his face until she arrived. He bragged to everyone—Billy especially, and bought her a truck. He knew the moment he saw it that it was so… _Bella._

It didn't go very fast and always caused a lot of noise, just like his daughter in one of her clumsy moments.

He had been so happy.

And now… he had never felt so helpless.

He would have rather her to stay in Phoenix, never moving down here, just to spare her of this obvious pain. He could see it in her dead eyes, the way she held herself. Hunched over and her arms constantly wrapped around her mid-section… like she was in pieces.

Charlie could sympathize… it was the only thing he could do…

He had felt that way when Renee left. It was like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and repeatedly stomped on. The worst part was her taking his only child, his Bella. _If only I had tried harder… _He kept thinking. _They would both be here… my Renee and my beautifully klutzy Bella…_

But the past was the past and he accepted that. He had a long time to come to terms with what had happened, and he had. But Bella…

Was it really in her nature to get over something like this? She had always been strong, she had looked after her own mother the past few years, and since she has been living in Forks, she has been looking after Charlie, she matured so fast… he didn't think that Bella could ever be in a relationship so strong at her age.

But he knew it was possible. He wasn't one of those parents who told their eighteen year old kids that they 'don't know what love is', he knows it's absolutely possible for people of that age to feel love… who's to say that they can't?

He knew it was possible because he felt that way at eighteen years old. It had been the happiest time of his life. The only time his joy was even greater was when his wife had given birth to Isabella the Beautiful.

Charlie was older—more mature, when his relationship buckled and crashed… he could deal with the pain and sorrow, but Bella, his daughter, _So young…_ he kept thinking. Did her maturity extend so far as to accept what had happened? Was she so naïve that she couldn't see that people could leave, just like that?

No, she wasn't naïve. _She's head over heels… _Charlie felt unabashed shame and guilt every time he looked at his broken daughter. So many _'I should have's'_ were running through his mind. The third emotion he felt when he looked at the broken Bella was anger. Not towards his daughter, no, he could never be so angry at her.

Cullen.

Edmund, or Eli or whatever his name was… had done this to her. He left her out in the cold… lost in the forest, not even being as so kind to lead her back home. Charlie looked at his gun belt and felt great amusement and slight satisfaction when he pictured the Heartbreak Kid in handcuffs, riding in the back of a paddy wagon.

And as soon as the satisfaction had come, it was gone.

He knew that Bella would go running to Cullen's side if the moment ever arose. It wasn't because she was naïve, or stupid, or infatuated… it was because she was good.

The single most good person Charlie had ever met. And ever will meet.

But where was that good person now?

He looked back over to his daughter, sitting at the kitchen table and staring out the window. She was so lost within her own thoughts, Charlie couldn't even remember when he heard her last speak. She was so thin… barely eating anything. She had dropped at least five pounds. Her skin was more pale than usual, it even resembled the cold flesh of Carlisle Cullen.

Charlie shivered when he remembered Dr. Cullen's cold flesh. _If he was so damn cold he could use his riches to buy a freakin' sweater… _Charlie grumbled.

"Bella…" Charlie began, his tone wary and cautious, he didn't want to scare or startle her, just wanted to talk to her, try to get her to speak, eat… _anything._

She gazed over at him, her eyes unfathomable and unreadable. Charlie wondered if he could ever grasp what kind of pain his daughter was actually in… could anyone ever understand it?

Charlie cleared his throat before continuing, "Are you… uh… doin' okay?"

Bella gave what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but it just came out as a ghostly grimace. Charlie became desperate, he needed to hear his daughters voice… he needed to make sure his Bella was still there.

"Bella… please… say something…" He urged her. Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment and he ached to know what she was thinking. But he already knew the answer, she was thinking about the one and only Edward Cullen.

_Is that his name?_

"I'm fine, Dad." As soon as he heard her voice, he wished that he hadn't asked her to speak. Her voice held no emotion, just like the rest of her body. Her voice didn't tremble, break…nothing…

It was like she was empty inside, like she was slowly splitting in two… and he couldn't stop it… he wished he could, he wished there was _some _way to stop this from happening. He'd bear all of her pain if he had to, every last drop of tears from her anguish, every drop of sweat from her nightmares, he'd take it all, just so she'd be happy.

But he couldn't. And hew knew the only thing that would make this better would be Edward fucking Cullen.

He wished that his daughter would lean on him more, that she would show some affection. Charlie knew that she could her aversion to displays of love from him, and how he wished he was never born with that trait.

Charlie looked into her eyes again—an exact replica of his own. He briefly wondered if that was what he had looked like when Renee walked out with Bella in tow. Was he like this? A zombie for months on end, the end never clear in sight? He came out of his depression, and it made him a stronger person. Bella was strong, she would pull through this… wouldn't she?

Charlie severely hoped so. He couldn't stand watching his next of Kin like this. His only daughter. Broken, betrayed, gone. She'd come back to him, she just had to.

Without Bella in his life, Charlie would only be a shell. She gave him hope. Before Bella moved to Forks, he would go fishing as he pleased, and come home late from work without having to apologize to anyone for his tardiness. He had hated that.

Then, Bella moved in with him, and he had someone to write notes to, explaining his absence. He had someone to apologize to for his tardiness, he had someone he could be with. Although neither his daughter nor himself openly displayed their love, they both knew it was there, Charlie did, at least, and he severely hoped that Bella knew just how much she meant to him.

He had seen the same dead eyes before on Leah Clearwater—his best friends daughter. He had felt pity and sympathy for Harry when he would worry constantly over his only daughter, and he was briefly happy that he would never have to have Harry console him like that. He had put his trust in Edward, he had seen the love in his eyes and knew that it was real… it was the same look Charlie had given Renee for years and years.

And then, the idiot threw it away…

Something obviously happened had Bella's birthday party, that he knew for sure. She had come home early, and something seemed off about her, she was very eager to get to bed quickly.

The next few days were the same. Charlie remembered taking a photo of Edward and Bella, but it wasn't what a happy couple looked like. Edward was emotionless, and seemed bored, and Bella's face was a mask of worry.

Charlie remembered Renee looking bored and angry towards the end of their relationship, and immediately thought that Edward was going to leave his daughter. But he brushed the thought off, hoping it was nothing, that Edward was sulking for some unknown reason.

Charlie was wrong.

_I could've warned her!_ Charlie chided himself, _I could've hit him! _That thought had Charlie stewing. He really would like to take a swing at Cullen, and although he never would, the thought alone made him happy.

Charlie understood that Carlisle and Esme loved their adoptive children, but this was different. Bella was _his_, he had helped create her… she had his brown eyes and brown hair, they were a part of each other. Something Charlie thinks Carlisle and Esme may never understand.

Charlie isn't doubting the Cullen parents' love for their children—he would never. He simply didn't think they grasped the connection Charlie had to Bella. She was his little girl, his everything. And he was watching her fall a part, helpless.

He wasn't a doctor, he wasn't a psychologist… what could he possible have to offer Bella in assistance? The mere thought of sending Bella to a therapist had his stomach churning. He hated the thought of doing it, but knew it may just become a possibility.

Charlie would do anything to have his daughter back, absolutely anything. The thought of having Edward back in Bella's life made the Chief's blood boil and anger rise, he wouldn't be happy about it… but if that's what made her happy, he would grudgingly oblige.

He looked back over at his daughter, she was still staring out the window, her lifeless eyes a thousand miles away—just like Cullen. Is that where she was in her mind? Charlie hoped not. He knew that waking Bella up from this stupor was going to be hard enough, and he couldn't stand the thought of her constantly day dreaming and wondering about her ex-love.

Charlie started to wonder where the Cullen's were themselves. He knew that the three eldest had gone away to college after graduating, and he wondered what little Alice was doing on a Saturday morning in L.A.

He pushed the thoughts out of his head. As much as Charlie may hate Alice's brother, he can't deny that he felt a pang of sorrow when he thought of the shortest Cullen. She had been Bella's best friend, and she had befriended the gruff Chief of Police. She had always been happy, and she was always making Bella laugh. He missed that.

He missed everything about Bella.

_Please… _He begged, _come back…_

He sighed and looked back over to ESPN, he glanced at Bella one more time before changing the channel.

_I love you…_


End file.
